Dachshund Pups!!

Make sure that Dachshund pups are for you! Do some Internet research on the breed, by an informative book or two. This is a very important decision bring a new family member into the home. Some questions you might ask your self are; do you have children and how old are they? Do you have pets at home and do they get along with other animals? Will you have enough time to spend loving, playing, and taking care of a Dachshund? Do you have financial means to feed; take care of, and get vet check ups for your beloved doxie? Where do you live? Are you renting and will they allow dogs? Answer all of these questions before bring a puppy home. They want a stable, loving, and safe place to live. The last things that you want to happen is that you were not prepared for them and have to give them away.

Before you bring Dachshund pups home gather and purchase all of your supplies. You will need to make sure that your home is puppy proofed, both the inside and the outside. Find a Veterinarian close by and post their number, you will need to make an appointment with them soon after purchasing your puppy. Prepare yourself and bringing home a puppy will be a breeze.

O.K. so you have decided to bring one of those very cute adorable Dachshund pups home. CONGRATULATIONS!!-Crates-
One of the first questions is; are you going to use a crate for training? If you do not know much about crate training it may look harsh to lock the puppy up in a crate. Well in fact the crate becomes your puppies own private home or room. The crate also helps with house breaking your little one. There are a couple different types of crates out there, wire and fiberglass. The wire one is more open and airy than the fiberglass one, but the fiberglass one is a lot stronger than the wire one. Either one will provide protection for your Dachshund pups. Make sure when you purchase a crate buy one that will be big enough for the puppy to grow. I recommend a medium to large crate depending on if you have a miniature or standard Dachshund. Buy a bigger crate now so you wont have to by a bigger one later, save money. Do not use the crate as a punishment for you puppy. If you do they will not use they crate as a safe haven, they will be scared of it. I used a crate with my Dachshund pups. It worked really well. It cut back on accidents in the house and gave them a place to sleep. A crate does not have to be used but I recommend it.

-Bedding-
If you are using a crate you can use a crate pad on the bottom. Dachshund pups like to stay warm. They like to burrow in blankets and snuggle. If you are not using a crate there are a lot of different kinds of dog bedding out there. While your Dachshund is a puppy you might want to just use towels and blankets. Your little one is bound to have an accident or two, so towels and blankets are easy to wash and replace. Puppies are also known to chew things up quite often. If you buy a bed that is made from foam and has a cover over it, yes it is washable but the foam part takes a couple of days to air dry. Do Not put the foam in the dryer it will melt. If you are waiting for it to dry your Dachshund is out a bed. Also puppies are more likely to chew it up. If you decide to go this rout you might want to buy a couple of beds incase you have to wash one or one gets chewed up. You can also make your own dog bed. I took an old pillow that I no longer used and made a thick pillowcase for it. My Dachshund loves it!! No matter what type of bed you choose make sure it is in a convenient place so that your Dachshund feels like he is not alone. Put a couple of beds around the house in different places such as the bedroom, living room, and kitchen.

-Collars and Leashes-
A collar and leash are necessary for your Dachshund pups. When picking out what style there are several to choose from. Remember that a puppy is going to grow, so get an adjustable collar that is lightweight. Some of the collars are very fancy, with leather, gems, and spikes, which makes them heavy. A puppy does not do well with a heavy collar around its neck; it puts too much weight on it. Another type of collar is a harness. This is what I use with my Dachshund pups. Your Dachshund will not be able to pull out of it and there will not be any pressure at all on their necks. Leashes are a little simpler; a standard leash is 6 foot. Make sure that the leash is comfortable for you to hold, not to thin or bulky. Now that your Dachshund is comfortable in their collar and you are comfortable with your leash it is time for a walk.

-I.D. Tags-
It is very important that you have an I.D. tag on your Dachshund pups. The tag should have their name, address, and phone number on it. When they get to be over six months old they should also have their license on their collar. If your puppy or adult Dachshund should ever get out or get lost these tags will help in bringing them back. There is a down side; they are not 100% helpful. Some times their collar or tags fall off. This is when it is a good idea to have either a microchip or tattoo on your dog. A microchip is a chip that is about the size of a grain of rice. All of your information is put on it then inserted into the muscle between the shoulder blades of the dog. This procedure does not hurt your Dachshund any worse than getting a shot; it is done very quickly. If your dog has a microchip veterinarians and animal control all have a devise that scans your dog for your information. The tattoo is just that, it is a serial number that belongs to your Dachshund and registered to you. The tattoo is normally placed on the inner ear or inner back thigh. Either on of these methods will make your chances of getting your Dachshund back a little better. Trust me have some type of identification on them, you don’t want to loose your best friend now do you?

-Toys-
Dachshund pups are just like kids, they love toys. Dachshunds, a breed that loves to chew on things needs toys or bones. It is wise to provide them with toys to chew on so they don’t chew on your things. Get your puppy hard rubber or nylon toys. These types of toys will last longer and won’t need your supervision. If you get them stuffed toys or toys with squeakers in them you will need to watch their play carefully. Dachshunds love to tear open a stuffed animal and pull all of the stuffing out. This stuffing is harmful to them if they ingest it. If your Dachshund has torn open a stuffed animal take out all the stuffing and let them play with the carcass. They will enjoy this just as much and it is a lot safer. Going back to squeaky toys Dachshunds also like to get the squeaker out of a toy. These squeakers a small and could be swallowed. Watch your puppy carefully around these toys. You don’t want your puppy swallowing small pieces of plastic. Rotate your Dachshund pups toys so they do not get board.

-Food & Water Bowls-
Get a good set of bowls right off the bat so you don’t have to buy more down the road. There are several kinds of bowls out there; plastic, ceramic, and stainless steal. I would recommend the stainless steal bowl with the rubber on the bottom. These bowls, if placed on a hard surface, won’t move around or spill. Your Dachshund pups won’t be able to chew on these bowls either. Stainless Steal is a safe material that wills never chip, rust, or cause health problems to your puppy. There is the plastic bowls; you will see your puppy chewing on these most likely. Plastic also harbors germs if not cleaned on a regular basis. You also might see really cute ceramic bowls. Well these bowls are ok as long as they were not painted with a lead based paint. You also have to watch very carefully for chips or cracks in the bowl. No matter what type of bowl you choose make sure to purchase two of them at least; one for water and one for food.

-Cleaning Supplies-
When you first bring home Dachshund pups they are not potty trained. You will need to have cleaning supplies at home to clean up these accidents. You will want to gather old rags or towels, disinfectant, odor remover, and some newspapers or puppy pads. Try putting down either newspaper or puppy pads by the door they will use to go potty. You will need to teach them that that is where they need to go if the need to go potty. If they do have an accident on your carpet soak it up with an old rag or towel, spay disinfectant and odor remover on it right away, then blot up the excess moisture out of the rug. If you have a carpet cleaner this is the time it comes in handy. Always make sure your cleaning supplies are put up so your little friends don’t get into it.

-Puppy Proofing-
Dachshund pups are very curious about everything. It is important that you make both the inside and outside of your home as safe as possible for your puppy. For the inside if you have any breakables or antiques put them up on a high shelf, you don’t want them getting knocked over and broken. All electrical cords should be either fastened to the wall or put behind or under furniture. Puppies will try to chew on chords, and we don’t want to see them get electrocuted or shocked. Make sure all chemicals are put in a safe place, either on a high shelf or in a room where the door remains closed.

Now we need to make the back yard safe for them to play in. First put a lock on your back gate, you don’t want it coming open by accident. If your puppy likes to dig, which most Dachshund pups do, put pavers or bricks under the back gate and any other place they might dig out of. Make sure that your fence does not have any holes in it that your puppy can fit through. You would be amazed how they get through such small holes; they are smart! If you have a swimming pool with a fence around it you are good, if you don’t have a fence around the pool then you need to take some precautions. You will need to teach your Dachshund to swim. When I say teach them to swim I mean get them used to the water and your pool. Show them where the steps are and practice getting out several times. Never leave your Dachshund alone around your pool with out a fence. Another thing to watch for outside is bug and weed sprays. Make sure you use stuff that won’t hurt your pets. Dachshund pups love to chew on plants and weeds, they like to taste everything. The last thing to do to puppy proof your back yard is to do some research on poisonous plants. Make sure that all of your flowers and plants in your yard are safe for them to ingest. IF your puppy is anything like mine they will explore and taste what ever is in front of them. Their nose will take them everywhere whether there is danger there or not; they don’t know the difference. So make your home safe for them and then everyone will be happy.

-Veterinarian-
Your Dachshund pups should have their first Veterinarian appointment made right away. In your first appointment the doctor will do a full examination. They will be checking to see if the puppy has problems that you could not see. You will need to tell the doctor what vaccinations your puppy has already gotten. From there the Veterinarian will set up a vaccination schedule for your puppy. Make sure to follow this schedule so your puppy stays healthy. If you have any questions for the doctor this is the time to ask. Remember no question is a stupid question.

Now that you are prepared, have a safe place, and willing to follow a health plan